Drawer pull-out guide

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a drawer pull-out guide ( 4 ), comprising a body rail ( 5 ) to be fastened to a furniture body ( 2 ), an in particular metal drawer rail ( 7 ) to be fastened to the drawer ( 3 ), and an adjusting device ( 16 ) for adjusting the height of the drawer ( 3 ) relative to the drawer rail ( 7 ), wherein the adjusting device ( 16 ) has an adjusting part ( 19 ), which is supported so as to be movable along a guiding track ( 18 ) to a limited extent in order to adjust the height of the drawer ( 3 ), wherein the guiding track ( 18 ) is designed as an opening in a leg ( 7   b ) of the drawer rail ( 7 ) extending vertically in the usage position, wherein the guiding track ( 18 ) extends at an angle to the horizontal.

The present invention concerns a drawer pull-out guide comprising acarcass rail to be fixed to a furniture carcass, a drawer rail—which isin particular made of metal—to be fixed to a drawer, and an adjustingdevice for adjusting the height position of the drawer relative to thedrawer rail, wherein the adjusting device has a displacement portionwhich is mounted limitedly moveably along a guide path for adjustment ofthe height position of the drawer, wherein the guide path is in the formof an opening in a limb of the drawer rail, wherein the guide path isformed as a recess in a vertical limb of the drawer rail in the positionof use.

The invention further concerns an article of furniture having at leastone drawer pull-out guide of the kind to be described, wherein a draweris mounted in such a way that it can be extended relative to a furniturecarcass by way of that drawer pull-out guide.

Adjusting devices for adjusting the height position of a drawer relativeto the extendable drawer rail of a drawer pull-out guide are alreadyknown and serve to adjust the position of the front panel of the drawerin the mounted position relative to the furniture carcass and relativeto the front panels of adjacent drawers, in the heightwise direction(for example DE 20 2009 003 886 U1).

DE 44 14 462 B4 discloses an adjusting device, wherein the front regionof the drawer can be raised and lowered by way of a displacement portionwhich is to be actuated manually. For that purpose the displacementportion has an inclined guide slot, by which the displacement portion isdisplaceable relative to an inclinedly extending, plate-shaped guideelement of the drawer rail. In that arrangement the plate-shaped guideelement is riveted or clinched to the drawer rail by way of a fixingplate, which therefore requires an increased expenditure on componentsand additional finishing steps.

DE 202 09 517 U1 describes a height adjusting device with the featuresas recited in the preamble, wherein a slider is moveable alongvertically extending guide slots in a heightwise direction by theactuation of an eccentric.

By virtue of the vertically extending slots, the eccentric has to carrythe entire load of the drawer, wherein the eccentric needs to have ahigh self-locking in order to avoid an unintentional displacement of theeccentric under the load of the drawer. That high self-locking actionfor the eccentric means that it can only be adjusted with difficulty.There is also the disadvantage that the displacement path of the slideris quite limited by virtue of the vertically extending slots.

Therefore the object of the present invention is to be propose a drawerpull-out guide of the general kind referred to in the opening part ofthis specification, having an improved adjusting device.

According to the invention, that is achieved by the features as recitedin claim 1. Further advantageous embodiments of the invention arerecited in the appendant claims.

According to the invention therefore it is provided that the guide pathextends inclinedly relative to the horizontal.

In an embodiment the inclined guide path can be at an angle relative tothe horizontal, which is between 3′ and 30°, preferably between 8′ and15°.

In that way a large part of the load of the drawer is carried by theguide path itself, wherein only a low level of force has to be blockedto prevent an unwanted relative movement between the displacementportion and the guide path, wherein moreover a part of that force isgenerated by friction between the displacement portion and the guidepath. The displacement portion can thus be easily adjusted, wherein therisk of unwanted downward movement of the displacement portion underload can be substantially eliminated. In addition the displacement pathcan also be increased by an inclinedly extending guide path—incomparison to a vertically extending guide path.

The guide path for the displacement portion is cut out directly in therail material of the drawer rail. In that case the guide path can bestamped or milled out of the drawer rail in a structurally simplefashion. That permits manufacture without any problem, without anyadditional components being required.

By virtue of the guide path being formed in the rail material, the guidepath is stable and does not have to be fixed by additional means. Therisk of a break or another defect in the guide path is therebypractically excluded.

For adjustably raising and lowering the drawer in the front end regionthereof, the guide path is provided at a front end region of the drawerrail. For lifting and lowering the rearward end region of the drawer theguide path can also be arranged in the rear end region of the drawerrail.

For easy adjustability of the height position of the drawer it can beprovided that the displacement portion can be releasably arrestedrelative to the drawer rail at two or more predetermined latchingpositions. In a development of the invention, the latching meansprovided for fixing the latching positions can be formed on the drawerrail separately from the guide path. The latching means can thereforealso be cut out in the material of the drawer rail.

In that case the latching means for fixing the latching positions can beprovided on a limb of the drawer rail, said limb extends vertically inthe position of use, and/or on a limb of the drawer rail, that extendshorizontally in the position of use. Arranging the latching means on avertically extending limb and additionally on a horizontally extendinglimb of the drawer rail has the advantage that the displacement portion,upon displacement thereof, can be guided without tilting, relative tothe drawer rail. The latching means can be formed by notches, embossingsand/or projections arranged on the drawer rail.

The article of furniture according to the invention has at least onedrawer pull-out guide of the kind in question.

Further details and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the specific description hereinafter. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an article of furniture with drawerswhich are mounted displaceably relative to a furniture carcass by way ofdrawer pull-out guides,

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a drawer pull-outguide,

FIGS. 3 a, 3 b show perspective views of the drawer pull-out guide withthe displacement portion lowered and with the displacement portionraised,

FIGS. 4 a-4 c show various views of the front end of the drawer railwith the displacement portion in a lowered and a raised position, and

FIGS. 5 a-5 d show various views of the front end of the drawer rail andthe displacement portion.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an article of furniture 1, whereindrawers 3 are mounted in such a way that they can be pulled out relativeto a furniture carcass 2 by way of drawer pull-out guides 4. In theillustrated embodiment the drawer pull-out guide 4 is in the form of athree-part rail system which includes a carcass rail 5 to be fixed tothe furniture carcass 2, a central rail 6 displaceable relative theretoand an extendable drawer rail 7 which is connected to the drawer 3 orwhich is to be releasably connected thereto by way of a per se knowncoupling device. The drawer 3 has a drawer bottom 8, drawer side walls 9and a rear wall 10.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a drawer pull-out guide 4. Thecarcass rail 5 is to be fixed stationarily at the inside of a verticalside wall of the furniture carcass 2 while the drawer 3 is to beconnected to the extendable drawer rail 7 by way of the illustratedcoupling device 11. In this arrangement the coupling device 11 ispre-mounted laterally at the underside of the drawer bottom 8 (FIG. 1)and screwed to the drawer bottom 8 and/or to the drawer front panel.Upon mounting of the drawer 3, it is firstly pushed on to the drawerrail 7 until an abutment 15 arranged on the drawer rail 7 limits thedisplacement travel of the drawer 3. The abutment 15 is disposed—as isknown per se—at the rear end region of the drawer rail 7 and ispreferably adapted to be adjustable in respect of height. The abutment15 extends in parallel spaced relationship relative to a horizontallyextending limb 7 a of the drawer rail 7 and extends in the extensiondirection (A) of the drawer rail 7 so that, upon mounting of the drawer3, the abutment 15 can be inserted into a bore in the drawer rear wall10. The abutment 15 mounted on the rear end of the drawer rail 7therefore fixes the drawer 3 at its rear end region while the front endregion of the drawer 3 can be releasably coupled to the front end of thedrawer rail 7 by way of the illustrated coupling device 11. The couplingdevice 11 includes at least one—preferably resilient—latching portion 12which can be latched into an widened portion 18 a of an opening in thedrawer rail 7. The coupling device 11 further includes a release lever14, in which case the latching portion 12 can be unlocked by manuallyapplying pressure to the release lever 14, relative to the drawer rail7, so that the drawer 3 can be completely removed from the drawer rail7, for example for cleaning purposes.

Reference 16 denotes an adjusting device by means of which the front endregion of the drawer 3 is height-adjustable. The adjusting device 16includes a displacement portion 19 which is to be actuated manually,with a support portion 17 connected thereto, the displacement portion 19being mounted displaceably along an inclinedly extending guide path 18of the drawer rail 7. In that case the guide path 18 can be stamped ormilled directly out of the rail material of the drawer rail 7. The topside of the support portion 17 bears against the underside of the drawerbottom 8 (FIG. 1) to fix the height position of the drawer 3 so that thedrawer 3 can be raised or lowered in the front region at the front panelthereof, by heightwise displacement of the support portion 17.

FIG. 3 a shows a perspective view of the drawer pull-out guide 4 of FIG.2, the coupling device 11 being omitted for reasons of clarity of thedrawing. It is possible to see the adjusting device 16 for adjusting theheight position of the drawer 3, wherein for height adjustment thedisplacement portion 19 is mounted limitedly displaceably along theguide path 18 which falls towards the front end of the drawer rail 7. Atone end the guide path 18 has a widened portion 18 a, into which thedisplacement portion 19 can be inserted for mounting thereof to thedrawer rail 7, from the side of the drawer rail 7. A particularity ofthis structure is that the latching portion 12 of the coupling device 11(FIG. 2) can also be latchingly engaged into the widened portion 18 a ofthe guide path 18, to provide for releasable coupling between the drawer3 and the drawer rail 7. The displacement portion 19 is in the lowermostend position in FIG. 3 a, wherein the top side of the support portion 17extends substantially flush relative to the horizontal limb 7 a of thedrawer rail 7 and thus a drawer fitted on to the support portion 17 isin the lowest position relative to the drawer rail 7.

FIG. 3 b in contrast shows the raised end position of the supportportion 17, the drawer 3 also being in its position of maximum lifting.The support portion 17 is arranged at least partially in an opening 21in the horizontally extending limb 7 a of the drawer rail 7 and passesthrough that opening, upon height adjustment of the displacement portion19. For displacement purposes the displacement portion 19 has a grippingportion 20 which is to be actuated manually and which in the illustratedembodiment is of a two-part structure. A first gripping portion 20 a isprovided for displacement of the displacement portion 19 in a firstdirection of movement while a second gripping portion 20 b is adaptedfor release of the displacement portion 19 from a latching position in asecond direction of movement in opposition to the first direction ofmovement. In other words, the support portion 17 can be lifted bymanually applying pressure to the first gripping portion 20 a, inopposition to the extension direction (A), while by manually applying apulling force to the second gripping portion 20 b in the extensiondirection (A) the latching effect can be released and the supportportion 17 can be moved into a lowered position relative to the drawerrail 7.

FIG. 4 a shows a perspective view of the front end region of the drawerrail 7, at which the adjusting device 16 is arranged for adjusting theheight position of the drawer 3 in its mounted position. The drawer rail7 is of a C-shaped cross-section with a horizontally extending limb 7 aand a vertically extending limb 7 b. In the illustrated embodiment theinclined guide path 18 is in the form of an opening in the rail materialof the vertically extending limb 7 b. The support portion 17 forsupporting the drawer 3 is in a lowered position in FIG. 4 b.

FIG. 4 b shows a partly broken-away side view of the drawer rail 7. TheFigure shows a latching portion 22 which is connected to the secondgripping portion 20 b and which can be releasably latchingly engaged atvarious predetermined latching means 23 which are formed separately fromthe guide path 18. It is possible to see the support portion 17 which isof a substantially wedge-shaped cross-sectional configuration. Theunderside of the support portion 17 can be supported to slide along aninclinedly downwardly extending portion 24 of the drawer rail 7.Provided at the underside of the support portion 17 are ribs (notvisible here) which extend transversely relative to the extensiondirection (A) and which can be releasably latched to transverselyextending latching means 25 on the inclined portion 24 of the drawerrail 7 at a plurality of predetermined latching positions. Thedisplacement portion 19 can be displaced in substantially tilt-freefashion upon displacement relative to the drawer rail 7 by virtue of thelatching engagement of the latching portion 22 with the latching means23 and by virtue of the additional latching of the ribs of the supportportion 17 with the latching means 25 of the inclined portion 24.

FIG. 4 c shows the raised position of the support portion 17 relative tothe horizontally extending limb 7 a of the drawer rail 7, wherein thesupport portion 17 is displaceable into a raised position by manuallyapplying pressure to the first gripping portion 20 a, in opposition tothe extension direction (A). The latching portion 22 is resilientlymounted so that the latching portion 22 is automatically latchable withthe latching means 23 of the drawer rail 7 upon displacement into araised position. By manually applying a pulling force to the secondgripping portion 20 b in the extension direction (A) in contrast theresilient latching portion 22 can be lifted out of the latching means 23so that the support portion 17 can be lowered into a lower positionagain.

FIG. 5 a shows the front end region of the drawer rail 7 as aperspective view. It is possible to see the guide path 18 and thelatching means which are separate therefrom and which are each in theform of openings in the vertically extending limb 7 b of the drawer rail7. The inclined portion 24 for slidingly guiding the support portion 17has latching means 25 which are spaced in the extension direction (A)and which cooperate with corresponding ribs 26 of the support portion 17(FIG. 5 c). The guide path 18 opens into an enlarged portion 18 a intowhich on the one hand the support portion 17 of the displacement portion19 can be introduced for mounting thereof and into which on the otherhand the latching portion 12 of the coupling device 11 is latchable(FIG. 2).

FIG. 5 b shows the front end region of the drawer rail 7 as a side view.The guide path 18 and the longitudinal extent of the sawtooth-shapedpath which is afforded by the latching means 23 extend in substantiallymutually parallel relationship.

FIG. 5 c shows a perspective view from below of the displacement portion19. The displacement 19 is injection molded in its entirety in one piecefrom plastic material. The Figure shows the ribs 26 which are providedat the underside of the support portion 17 and which in the mountedposition cooperate with the latching means 25 of the inclined portion 24(FIG. 5 a). The latching portion 22 is formed on the second grippingportion 20 b, wherein manually pulling on the flexible gripping portion20 b in the direction towards the rigid gripping portion 20 a providesthat the latching portion 22 can be lifted out of the latching means 23of the drawer rail 7 and thus the latching engagement can be released.FIG. 5 c shows the displacement portion 19 as a further perspective viewfrom below, wherein it is possible to see the rigid gripping portion 20a and the flexible gripping portion 20 b with the latching portion 22.

The present invention does not relate only to the illustrated embodimentbut includes or extends to all variants and technical equivalents whichcan fall within the scope of the accompanying claims. The positionalreferences adopted in the description such as for example up, down,lateral and so forth are also related to the directly described andillustrated Figure and are to be appropriately transferred to the newposition. The guide path 18 and/or the path on which the latching means23 are arranged for releasable arresting can at least portion-wise be ofa linear shape and/or can be at least portion-wise of a curved shape.

1. A drawer pull-out guide with a carcass rail to be fixed to a furniture carcass, and with a, in particular metal, drawer rail to be fixed to the drawer, and with an adjusting device for adjusting the height position of the drawer relative to the drawer rail, the adjusting device has a displacement portion which is mounted limitedly moveably along a guide path for adjustment of the height position of the drawer, the guide path is in the form of an opening in a limb of the drawer rail, the limb extends vertically in the position of use, wherein the guide path extends inclinedly relative to the horizontal.
 2. The drawer pull-out guide according to claim 1, wherein the guide path is stamped or milled out of the drawer rail.
 3. The drawer pull-out guide according to claim 1, wherein the guide path is provided at a front end region of the drawer rail.
 4. The drawer pull-out guide according to claim 1, wherein at one end the guide path has a widened portion into which the displacement portion can be inserted from the side of the drawer rail for mounting same to the drawer rail.
 5. The drawer pull-out guide according to claim 1, wherein the displacement portion can be releasably arrested relative to the drawer rail at two or more predetermined latching positions.
 6. The drawer pull-out guide according to claim 5, wherein the latching means provided for establishing the latching positions are formed on the drawer rail separately from the guide path.
 7. The drawer pull-out guide according to claim 6, wherein the latching means are formed on a limb of the drawer rail, that extends vertically in the position of use, and/or on a limb of the drawer rail, that extends horizontally in the position of use.
 8. The drawer pull-out guide according to claim 6, wherein the latching means are formed by notches, embossings and/or projections on the drawer rail.
 9. The drawer pull-out guide according to claim 6, wherein the displacement portion has at least one latching portion which can be releasably latched to the latching means.
 10. The drawer pull-out guide according to claim 9, wherein the displacement portion has at least one gripping portion by which at least one latching portion is releasable from the latching means.
 11. The drawer pull-out guide according to claim 10, wherein the gripping portion is of a two-part structure, wherein a first gripping portion is adapted for displacement of the displacement portion in a first direction of movement and wherein a second gripping portion connected to a latching portion is adapted for releasing the displacement portion from a latching position in a second direction of movement opposite to the first direction of movement.
 12. The drawer pull-out guide according to claim 1, wherein the displacement portion has a support portion whose top side in the position of use bears against an underside of the drawer for fixing the height position thereof.
 13. The drawer pull-out guide according to claim 12, wherein the support portion has an underside which in the position of use bears against an inclinedly downwardly extending portion of the drawer rail.
 14. The drawer pull-out guide according to claim 12, wherein the support portion is arranged at least partially in an opening in the horizontally extending limb of the drawer rail or passes through said opening.
 15. The drawer pull-out guide according to claim 1, wherein the displacement portion is produced in one piece from plastic material.
 16. The drawer pull-out guide according to claim 12, characterized in that the support portion is of a substantially wedge-shaped cross-sectional configuration.
 17. An article of furniture having at least one drawer pull-out guide according to claim
 1. 